Saturday 23 May 2015

Just arrived: Tights from Wolford

Wolford have very kindly sent us a really fantastic package of tights to trial and review as well as other goodies.



We have been sent the following:

Wolford Satin Opaque 50 Tights



Wolford Pure 50 Tights



Wolford Individual 50 Leg Support Tights



Plus a Wolford pen, baseball hat, and hand and nail cream!

Friday 22 May 2015

A package from Wolford!

We took delivery of a large box from Wolford today.




Tomorrow we will reveal the contents!

Thursday 21 May 2015

New graphic on benefits of support hosiery

The Leg-Care Company is a long established family business in the UK. They stock a wide range of quality compression hosiery products for women and men, including brands such as Falke, Kunert, Oroblu, Solidea and Cecilia de Rafael.



They recently contacted Hosiery For Men to share an interesting and useful new infographic on the benefits of compression and support hosiery.

The Leg-Care Company explains:

There’s a lot of valuable literature available online which covers the health benefits of compression and support hosiery. The financial implications however, are covered less frequently. The Sigvaris Stemmer Library has a huge amount of insightful research of which one piece in particular stood out. The research indicated an equal performance of compression hosiery when compared to compression bandages for a health condition, however the price was significantly reduced. The Leg-Care company has produced a graphic on this study to summarise the data in a visual format.



Compression Hosiery Graphic

Monday 11 May 2015

Reviewed: Charnos Sheer Lustre 15 Denier Tights

Charnos Hosiery sent Hosiery For Men a generous selection of samples from their different ranges.



Two of the samples were from the Charnos Xelence range. You can still read our reviews of the:

Charnos Xelence 50 Denier Opaque Tights

Charnos Xelence 30 Denier Sheer Tights

We now focus on the Charnos Sheer Lustre 15 Denier Tights.



Material and features 

The Charnos Sheer Lustre 15 Denier Tights come in the usual Charnos quality packaging. The tights are folded around a card rectangle and then wrapped in a clear plastic sleeve. Everything is then enclosed in a robust card envelope which provides detailed product information.





These tights are made in Italy. The fabric is 89% Nylon, 10% Lycra® and 1% Cotton.

The material feel extremely soft and smooth. First impressions are very positive. The fabric is impressively stretchy. 


The tights are 15 denier in appearance and completely sheer to waist.

The brief is deep and has a cotton gusset. Seams in the brief are flat. The central seam in the brief is reinforced with a 1.5cm band.

The waistband is 3.5cm wide. Running below it is a 3cm reinforcement band.

Feet are anatomically shaped. Toes are sheer without any reinforcement.

Fit and sizing

The Charnos Sheer Lustre 15 Denier Tights are available in four sizes: S, M, L and XL.



Size guide from MyTights.

Note that it is the Large size in Charnos tights that caters for taller sizes as opposed to the X-Large size.

I found the Charnos Sheer Lustre 15 Denier Tights simply great to wear. The sizing was very accurate. They had plenty of stretch and by putting them on with care, I found that they moulded themselves to the legs beautifully. The high Lycra® content ensured that the fabric clung well everywhere.

The brief/panty was was deep and roomy, without being overly so. The tights stretched easily above the waist.

In appearance these tights are quite shiny. Worn under pants the glide was superb.

Colour range

The Charnos Sheer Lustre 15 Denier Tights are available in four colours: Black, Barely Black, Natural Tan and Nude.

I tested a pair in the Natural Tan shade.

Price and availability
The 
Charnos Sheer Lustre 15 Denier Tights are available from My Tights and Tightsplease. At both retailers they are priced at £5.00.

Conclusion
I was really impressed with the Charnos Sheer Lustre 15 Denier Tights for the following reasons:

  • A really quality product with details and features you would expect in more expensive tights.
  • Wonderfully soft fabric that feels great when worn.
  • Accurate sizing.
For the price they really are very good value indeed, and earn a Hosiery For Men recommendation.

Saturday 9 May 2015

Reviewed: Cecilia de Rafael Daily Active 200 Den Men's Knee Highs

The Spanish hosiery manufacturer Cecilia de Rafael sent us a really bumper selection of samples to trial and review.





As well as a great selection of tights, they also sent a pair of the Daily Active 200 Den Men's Knee Highs.



Material and features

The Daily Active 200 Den Men's Knee Highs are described by Cecilia de Rafael as follows:

Cotton socks for gentlemen and ladies. Strong compression especially recommended for daily use in all types of jobs. Long trips, many hours standing or sitting, as well as deep treatment for circulation problems. Its continual use improves circulation and prevents greater problems.


These knee highs are part of the Cecilia de Rafael Graduated Compression range.

Material and features
Packaging is similar to Cecelia de Rafael tights. The knee highs are folded around rectangular card, which is then enclosed in a folded over card with product information in various languages. Everything is then housed in a cellophane sleeve.


Interestingly, the card inside highlights various Cecilia de Rafael tights. Perhaps that is a conscious decision to increase awareness of them with male customers.





The Daily Active 200 Den Men's Knee Highs are made in Italy. They are 59% Cotton, 31% Nylon, and 10% Spandex/Elastane.

The knee highs feel like a really quality product. They are anatomically shaped to fit the foot and lower leg. The sock is therefore wider in the upper calf, and then tapers towards the ankle.

The top of the knee high is finished into 4cm wide comfort band.

Both ankles and toes are reinforced.

Stitching throughout is top quality.

In appearance they are very dense opaque, which provides total coverage. They are matt with just a hint of shine when caught in the light.






Sizing and fit

The Daily Active 200 Den Men's Knee Highs. are available in six sizes: T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6.

The 'T' stands for 'talla', the Spanish word for size.

I tested the T5 size, which corresponds to shoe size 44-45.



The product description states that these knee highs provide strong (18-21mmHg) compression.

One has to take time and care to put them on. That is quite a slow process as the compression in the lower area is really strong, and one needs to be careful and patient to gradually stretch them over the foot and then onto the leg.

Once on, the T5 size was a great fit for me both on the foot as well as the leg.

The knee highs stretched to just below the knee. The look was quite smart and elegant.

Comfort level was excellent and these knee highs left my legs feeling energised. I spend a lot of time working at my desk and these were definitely a support.

I employed a test that I used before when reviewing the Wolford Long Distance men's Knee Highs: I wore just one knee high for several hours and then compared with the bare leg. The leg with the knee highs was much less fatigued.

Colour range

The Daily Active 200 Den Men's Knee Highs are available in three colours: Brown, Black and Grey.

I tested the Negro (Black) shade.



Price and availability
At the time of publishing this review, we had no information on price or availability. We will provide more information when we have it.

Conclusion

The Daily Active 200 Den Men's Knee Highs are a very high quality product indeed. The features are excellent: reinforced toes and heels, and excellent graduated compression.

However, the real story is in the wearing experience and on these grounds I couldn't find any fault at all.

They are extremely comfortable and would be a good choice for men who need leg support because of their occupation or health need.

Recommended.

Just arrived: Playtex 24hr Soft Bodytouch Opaque 40 Denier Tights and Oroblu Pearl Second Skin 15 Tights

Stockings HQ is an online hosiery retailer that sells a very large range of tights, including many top brands. They also have a dedicated men's tights section, selling the Glamory For Men brand.



They have very kindly sent Hosiery For Men some more samples to trial and review.


Playtex 24hr Soft Bodytouch Opaque 40 Denier Tights



Oroblu Pearl Second Skin 15 tights



Stay tuned for reviews.

Monday 4 May 2015

Reviewed: Aristoc Ultimate Leg Luxury 50 Denier Micro Fibre Opaque Tights

Hosiery retailer Tightsplease sent us a pair of the Aristoc 50 Denier Micro Fibre Opaque Tights to trial and review for Hosiery For Men readers.







Material and features
The Aristoc 50 Denier Micro Fibre Opaque Tights are described by Tightsplease as follows:

Perfect for providing a barrier against the chilly weather, the 50 denier finish will ensure your pins have a sought after even coverage and long-lasting colour. Exceptionally soft and smooth owing to a unique microfibre yarn, these opaque tights have been designed with the comfort of the wearer in mind, with a host of luxury features that will leave your legs feeling relaxed and, more importantly, free from unsightly indentation marks!

With a premium soft knitted waistband, you’ll experience deep comfort all day long. This also means the tights won’t dig into your waistband, so you won’t feel the need to readjust your tights every other hour! As well as this, the tights have been constructed using flat lock seams, a feature typically associated with luxury hosiery that will ensure the tights lie flat against your skin for a superior fit.


Packaging is quite simple. The tights are folded over a plastic hook and then wrapped in a card enclosure. The design is clearly made for display, and means that prospective purchasers can feel the fabric.



These are 50 denier tights, made in England from 88% Nylon, 11% Elastane and 1% Cotton.

The tights are sheer to waist with no demarcation between the leg and brief.

The fabric is quiet smooth but without an overly silky appearance. Opacity is very dense for 50 denier. In appearance they look much more opaque than one would expect; they are more similar to 60 or 70 denier opaque tights. Appearance is matt is just a very slight sheen.

Seams are flat throughout, and there is no rear comfort panel.

Toes are reinforced.



The brief is not especially deep, but the tights have a good amount of stretch. The waistband is 2.5 cm wide. In a nice touch of quality, there is an Aristoc tag sewn onto the waistband.The brief has a cotton gusset.



The impression overall is that care and attention has been paid by Aristoc to ensure that this is a quality product.



Sizing and fit
The Aristoc 50 Denier Micro Fibre Opaque Tights are available in three sizes: S/M, M/L and XL/XG.

I tested the XL/XG size.



Sizing information on the packaging indicates that the XL/XG size fits up to a height of 6'0". I am 5'10" and I found that this size accommodated me fairly well, but I am not sure if it would suit someone much taller.

The tights fitted very snugly indeed, with the high Elastane content ensuring that the fabric clung and moulded to every curve.

As mentioned above, the tights have plenty of stretch.

I found that the brief was just about deep enough for me, but the fit was quite tight especially in the crotch area.

Colour range
The Aristoc 50 Denier Micro Fibre Opaque Tights are available at Tightsplease in Black only.

Price and availability

The Aristoc 50 Denier Micro Fibre Opaque Tights are priced at £9.00.

Conclusion
The Aristoc 50 Denier Micro Fibre Opaque Tights are a very good quality product. I feel that the price is very reasonable for the quality of the fabric and the overall manufacture.

My only disappointment is that this model doesn't seem to have the leg length and more generous sizing of the other tights in the Ultimate Leg Luxury Range: the 120 Denier Cotton Sheen Tights, the 40 Denier Micro Fibre Opaque Tights and there 80 Denier Micro Fibre Opaque Tights. We have previously reviewed all of these styles and they all merited a recommendation for quality and fit.

Sunday 3 May 2015

LM Glow Tall Comfort Tights end of season sale

The UK hosiery brand LM Glow sell a unique product, Tall Comfort Tights, which we reviewed a few months ago. This style of tights is designed for tall women and men.



You can read our review here.

We also interviewed Charlotte May Harris, the founder of LM Glow and you can read Part 1 and Part 2 of this special Hosiery For Men feature.

LM Glow have just announced an end of season sale with up to 40% discount.



Sale prices represent significant reductions in the normal price:
  • A single pair costs £2.99 (usually) £4.99
  • A pack of five pairs costs £12.00 (usually £20.00)
  • A pack of six pairs costs £14.40 (usually £24.00)
  • A pack of seven pairs costs £24.00 (usually £30.00)
Our review gave a strong recommendation for this product and we concluded:

The LM Glow Tall Comfort Tights are a really exceptional new product. These tights are clearly designed for taller men and women and they do their job splendidly.

The sale is on until 14 May, so be quick and stock up while stocks last.